The present invention relates to a cream substitute, especially one which can be used in food products normally containing cream, to methods of making the cream substitute and to various foodstuffs prepared with the cream substitute in place of some or all of the cream such foodstuffs typically are prepared with.
Cream substitutes are known which may be added to other ingredients of food products normally containing cream such as culinary products, e.g., sauces, gravies, soups, etc. or cream-containing desserts, e.g., cream-filled pastries, etc. Some of these cream substitutes contain gelatin to provide texture and/or as a stabilizer but the use of gelatin is undesirable not only because of concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (i.e., xe2x80x9cBSExe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cmad-cow diseasexe2x80x9d), but also for the vegetarian population, as well as for certain ethnic groups who have concerns about the nature of meat used in certain food products and/or who observe certain dietary constraints concerning the consumption of meat and dairy products.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,652 discloses an intermediate moisture food that remains stable at freezer temperatures. The foods include oil-in-water emulsions, butter creams, whipped toppings, low-fat whipped creams, milk mates, non-dairy shakes, icings, and coffee creamers. The foods have a water activity of from about 0.75 to 0.9 and a sugar to water ratio of at least 1:1 and a sugar content that is at least 5% dextrose and/or fructose.
GB 1,066,703 discloses an imitation cream concentrate comprising 40 to 70% fat, 20 to 50% water, 10 to 40% of one or more sugars, whole milk powder, separated milk powder, and/or one or more starch derivatives and at least three whipping/emulsifying agents at least one being selected from each of the following groups: (i)whipping/emulsifying agents that have a strong affinity for the water/air interface, (ii) emulsifying agents which have a strong affinity for the water/fat interface, and (iii) lipophilic emulsifying agents.
EP 0 714 609 discloses a cream-like composition that comprises 16 to 40% of an oil and fat and 0.3 to 6% by weight of a protein being admixed with water containing sugar materials and the like brought into emulsification to a total solids content of 35 to 70% by weight.
GB 1,077,338 discloses an edible whipping composition comprising a first spray dried component which is a spray dried mixture of an edible fat, a sweetener, a water soluble protein, and a coating agent which is a water soluble gum or milk solid and a second component which is a spray dried mixture of a water soluble gum and an acidic stiffening agent. The fat or fat mixture is present in an amount of 30 to 75%, the sweetener in an amount of 10 to 60%, the water soluble protein in an amount of 7 to 12%, the gum in the first component in an amount of 2 to 10%, the gum in the second component in an amount of 80 to 95%, and the stiffening agent in an amount of 5 to 20%.
We have developed a cream substitute which does not contain gelatin, which is stable to heat, high acid (i.e., pHxe2x89xa65) and alcohol (e.g., wine, liquor, etc.), which gives a high yield, and which has superior emulsifying properties when compared with known cream substitutes.
According to the present invention, there is provided a cream substitute comprising from about 5% to about 40% by weight of butter, from about 0.25% to about 5% by weight of a thickening agent, and from about 0.25% to about 4% by weight of a food protein based on the total weight of the cream substitute, together with water in an amount of about 45 to about 90 wt % by weight. Optionally, the cream substitute includes from about 0.05% to about 2% by weight of a food acceptable acid.
The butter may be present in an amount of about 15% to about 35% by weight based on the total weight of the cream substitute.
The food acceptable acid may be lactic acid, citric acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propionic acid, acetic acid malic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, salts thereof, or a mixture thereof. The food acceptable acid may be present in an amount of about 0.05% to about 1.5% by weight based on the total weight of the cream substitute.
The thickening agent may be a starch or any food acceptable gum. The food acceptable gum may be xanthan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, carrageenan, gellan gum, locust bean gum, gum ghatti, gum tragacanth, agar, algin, sodium alginate, potassium alginate, propylene glycol alginate, or a mixture thereof.
The thickening agent may be present in an amount of about 0.25% to 4% by weight based on the total weight of the cream substitute.
The food protein may be soy, rice, pea, and milk protein. The food protein may be a dairy protein. The dairy protein may be whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, or casein. The food protein may be present in an amount of about 0.25% to about 2% by weight based on the total weight of the cream substitute.
The water may be present in an amount of about 67% to about 80% by weight based on the total weight of the cream substitute. In one embodiment the cream substitute is sugar free.
The invention further relates to a process of preparing the cream substitute. The process involves combining the thickening agent and protein with water to form a first mixture, combining the first mixture with the butter to form a second mixture, optionally adding the food acceptable acid to the second mixture, blending the second mixture, and homogenizing the second mixture. Alternatively, the process may involve melting the butter; combining the melted butter with the optional food acceptable acid, the thickening agent, and the protein to form a mixture; and blending the mixture with water. The mixture may be agitated during the blending step. The process may further involve refrigerating, dehydrating, pasteurizing, retorting, or canning the cream substitute.
The invention also relates to a foodstuff that contains the cream substitute of the invention. The amount of cream substitute present in the foodstuff may be about 1% to about 80% by weight based on the weight of the foodstuff.